The idea was born on a whiteboard, but the movement has grown far beyond the Malmö office. Crossed national borders and oceans. It has sprouted wings and is now flying on its own. No one is happier about that than Henning Gillberg, founder of White Monday - and Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2020.
Monday, November 25, 2019. There are five days left to this year's absolute shopping festival and in the mall at Hornstull in Stockholm, it is being prepared with signs and offers that will maximize the customers' spontaneous shopping craving.
This year's Black Friday will see Swedes' shopping profits reach new heights - over seven billion Swedish kronor (SEK). But Henning Gillberg doesn't know that yet, as he stands in black trousers, white shirt and white jacket, looking out over the circular pop-up shop that has taken up residence in the mall for the day. What he has just learned, however, makes him touch his forehead and say frankly:
- I actually get a little teary-eyed.
Breathing.
- Ikea is in! Ikea is skipping Black Friday and has put White Monday on its homepage. Wow!
Five hours later, in a (fittingly) white conference room a couple of floors up, American enthusiasm pours out of the laptop's speakers. "WITH US TODAY WE HAVE HENNING GILLBERG FROM SWEDEN - THE FOOOOOUNDER OF WHITE MONDAY!"
I want to get everyone thinking circular
Live on Facebook, Henning Gillberg talks to a US-based courier company about the ideas behind the White Monday concept and offers tips on how they can continue to spread the movement "over there". Two weeks ago, he was in Singapore to launch the concept. Positive reports are coming in from there, as well as from Germany, Serbia, Kenya, Turkey, Canada...
- The first year we had 30 participants, the second year 180. This year we are over 500 participants from 23 countries. There is a greater calm in me now, because outside of me there is now a movement that is not dependent on me as a person. White Monday has gone from being something that the media thinks is a bit of fun to highlight, to really becoming a movement among the people. And only then can we make a real difference.
Three years have passed since Henning Gillberg, together with a colleague at the time, formulated the concept of White Monday. As a kind of counterpoint to the unsustainable consumerism that Black Friday as a concept stands for, he felt a clear need to point to a different way of consuming. At the time, as now, he was the CEO of his own Corporate Repamera, whose business idea is to patch and repair customers' broken clothes. His experience was that many customers did not know that it is possible to consume in a circular way, that is, to make use of what already exists. Either by patching and repairing, buying second-hand, buying goods made from recycled materials or renting goods instead of buying.
- White Monday's core message is to showcase an alternative to new consumption. We're not saying don't consume at all or never buy anything new. But we do need to find the balance between new innovation and making the most of what we already have. Do you really need to buy a drill to drill a hole in the wall or is it enough to rent one for a few hours, drill your hole and then return it? If your pants break, do you really need to throw them away and buy a new pair, or can you mend them and keep using them?
The first step was to mobilize Corporate circular economy stakeholders and provide them with a common platform from which they could become a stronger voice and show customers clear alternatives. In addition, organisations, associations and, not least, influencers made the movement visible on social media by actively promoting its message.
- We make the average person understand the difference between new consumption and circular consumption and in that way I think we make a difference. It is when we activate consumers that change happens," says Henning Gillberg.
So where does his own commitment to the issue come from? He finds it difficult to substantiate it in words, he says. Perhaps his simple upbringing in Lenhovda in the deepest forests of Småland, with two part-time nurses as parents and many siblings, played a role in his view of the importance of material things? Maybe it's the entrepreneurial spirit that led him to first study product design and circular economy at Malmö University and then to start Repamera, the company where he initially cycled around the streets of Malmö to pick up his customers' clothes in need of repair?
What is clear is that he is passionate about sustainability - but that the last thing he wants is to become a trendy campaigner for the same.
- My main job is to get everyone who participates in White Monday to not make it a sustainability campaign. We want to get everyone to start thinking and consuming in a circular way, it's good for all parties and also for Mother Earth. If you say it's a sustainability campaign, I think you only capture the target group that already thinks about these issues. We want to get everyone thinking circularly, whether you vote left or right, whether you are angry or happy, stupid or kind, tall or short. It's good for everyone and for Mother Earth.
MOTIVATION SWEDEN SECOND HAND PROFILE 2020
Year after year, commercial retailers shout their message with a force that makes us buy billions of Swedish kronor (SEK) worth of new products - and that's just for one day. What started as a witty play on words has now established itself as a growing counter-movement that engages everyone from private individuals and influencers to organisations and Corporate - in Sweden but also internationally.
As the founder of White Monday, Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2020 has with great commitment created a powerful movement that drives the important development towards a more circular consumption. A movement that is undoubtedly the new black.
About the Second Hand Profile of the Year award
The prize Sweden’s Second Hand Profile is awarded annually to someone who has distinguished themselves in a special way within second hand. In addition to a diploma and statuette, the winner gets to allocate 25,000 Swedish kronor (SEK) to one of Erikshjälpen's projects for children's rights.
Henning Gillberg received the prize on Wednesday, October 7 at an event in Erikshjälpen Second Hand's store in Malmö. He chose to award his prize money to Erikshjälpen's work Solrosen, which provides Support to children with detained parents.
Erikshjälpen Second Hand's prize Sweden’s Second Hand Profile is awarded in 2021 to the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation for its successful initiatives with the Clothes Swap Day and the Toy Swap Day. This year's award winners make it easy to choose the right thing and show that everyone can contribute to sustainable development.
- "We are very happy about the award and it is especially warming because both our local associations and our national office have worked for a long time on these issues. It is a nice signal to our members who over the years have put a lot of effort into organizing Clothes Swap Days, says Karin Lexén, Secretary-General of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
Through the Sweden’s Second Hand Profile award, Erikshjälpen Second Hand wants to celebrate and encourage people and organisations that are role models and make a good impression when it comes to promoting second hand and reuse. At a time when it is vital for society to change, all good forces are needed to help people live more sustainably.
- "The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation is a strong force and does great work at many different levels in society. It feels great to be able to give the Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2021 award to such a worthy winner," says Anette Alm Gustafsson, Executive Director of Erikshjälpen Second Hand.
The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation is Sweden's largest environmental organization, which spreads knowledge, forms opinion and influences decision-makers both locally, nationally and globally. Since 2010, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation organizes the Clothes Swap Day around Sweden.
- We are in the midst of a climate crisis. In Sweden, we live as if we had four Earths. We need to change in all areas, including how we consume. With the Clothes Swap Day, we wanted to create an arena and a fun context to get more people to choose second hand and become part of the sharing economy," says Karin Lexén.
On Clothes Swap Day, people can bring some nice clothes that they no longer wear and swap them for clothes that someone else has brought. Since 2019, there has also been a Toy Swap Day, where toys, leisure items and things for the home and kitchen change hands. Interest in the Clothes and Gadget Swap Day has grown every year.
- I think that doing something concrete and fun for the environment is the reason why it has become so popular. The last time we did a big national Clothes Swap Day, in 2019, 58,000 garments got a new owner, just in Sweden," says Karin Lexén.
On December 9, Karin Lexén will receive the Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2021 award at an event in Erikshjälpen Second Hand's new city store in Gothenburg.
Motivation Sweden's Second Hand profile 2021
When society is in urgent need of a transition to more sustainable development, initiatives are needed to help people make the right choices. Through Clothes Swap Day and Product Swap Day, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation provides a fine example of how everyone can do something to create change. Together, we can reuse our things to a much greater extent than we do today - and it is important that more of us start doing so.
With great knowledge and strong commitment, Sweden's largest environmental organization, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, contributes to a more sustainable world both locally, nationally and globally. With the Clothes Swap Day and the Plastic Swap Day, Sweden’s Second Hand Profile 2021 has shown that everyone can contribute to a more circular society by starting small.
Author: Sofia Denzler
About the Second Hand Profile of the Year award
About the prize
Erikshjälpen Second Hand annually awards the Sweden’s Second Hand Profile to someone who, through their commitment, contributes to an increased interest in second hand and its possibilities. It can be about innovative ideas, creative solutions or smart environmental work through reuse. Elsa Billgren, Johanna Leymann, Scandinavian Retro and Henning Gillberg are some previous winners.
The winner of Sweden’s Second Hand Profile award receives a diploma and a statuette, as well as the right to award one of Erikshjälpen's projects for children's rights equivalent to 25,000 Swedish kronor (SEK).
Listening In August 2019, Anette Alm Gustafsson became the new Executive Director of Erikshjälpen Second Hand. She brings with her a solid experience from the retail trade.
At the end of May, Tomas Bjöersdorff left his position as Executive Director of Erikshjälpen Second Hand, after eight years in the post. It is now clear that his successor will be Anette Alm Gustafsson.
Anette Alm Gustafsson has a long career in retail, especially grocery retail, behind her. Over the years, she has worked in Bergendahl Food, Coop, Ikea, Åhléns and Dagab and has several years of experience in various senior positions.
For me, it is important that the organization I work with has clear goals, values and is open to change. That's why I want to join Erikshjälpen
We want to keep growing and developing for our customers and employees
- I want new challenges and would like to find them where I can continue to work with customers and employees in focus. But now with a clear goal to make a difference for other people. For me, it is important that the organization I work with has clear goals, values and is open to change. That's why I want to work for Erikshjälpen," says Anette Alm Gustafsson.
Daniel Grahn, Erikshjälpen's Secretary-General and chairman of the association Erikshjälpen Second Hand, is very pleased with the recruitment.
“With Anette Alm Gustafsson, I feel confident about stability and long-term quality, but I’m also excited about the changes ahead and our bold goals. We want to continue to grow and evolve for our customers and employees. But above all, for the challenges we see in the world around us and our vision of a better where children’s dreams come true,” he says.
Author: Patricia Franzén
Erikshjälpen's newspaper and Second Hand Magazine have become one and this week the first issue sees the light of day. A new newspaper – where hope and sustainability are in focus. No matter from which side you read.
Erikshjälpen's magazine is distributed to all Erikshjälpen donors and is also distributed at concerts and other events organized by the organization. The Second Hand Magazine has previously been published once a year and was then available in Erikshjälpen Second Hand's more than 60 stores.
– Being able to provide feedback from our children's rights work , in Sweden and internationally , and at the same time inspire a sustainable lifestyle through our second-hand business , feels both fun and reasonable, says Daniel Grahn, Erikshjälpen's Secretary-General .
Sustainability is the most crucial challenge of our time
When the two newspapers are now integrated into each other and form a new product with the common mottos "hope and sustainability", the different operations are also tied together in a clearer way.
– These two words are the unifying words for all of Erikshjälpen’s operations. Hope stands for faith in the future, for a desire to contribute to a better and better world. Sustainability is the absolute most crucial challenge of our time. Sustainability is the very business model for our stores, to be part of a circular economy and conserve the earth's resources. Equally crucial is the sustainability behind our rights-based work, says Daniel Grahn.
“Hope stands for faith in the future”
The new magazine is read from two sides, where articles about Erikshjälpen's work for children's rights meet the reader from one side and inspiring articles about second-hand from the other.
– While the message of the second-hand business reaches a wider audience by being sent out to all of Erikshjälpen's donors, the goal is for the foundation's work to become better known among our second-hand customers. Even if you take a copy of the magazine home from the store primarily to be inspired about second-hand, you also get the content about children's rights work and a direct receipt of how the money from second-hand makes a difference for children around the world, says Tomas Bjöersdorff, CEO Erikshjälpen Second Hand .
Author: Patricia Franzén
